July 4 • 2019 19
jn

P

aul Gross is a meteorologist 
with WDIV-TV and a member 
of and four-time past pres-
ident of Temple Kol Ami in West 
Bloomfield. The JN recently caught 
up with him to ask him some ques-
tions about climate change.
Q
: 
What is your background 
or experience with climate 
change? 
PG: I have followed climate change 
closely since the early 1990s, when 
I interviewed my first climate scien-
tist. I attend one or two conferences 
a year — such as the American 
Meteorological Society conference 
for broadcast meteorologists and 
International Weather and Climate 
Forum — to get the latest updates 
directly from climate scientists them-
selves and have traveled the world to 
meet with and interview them. I give 
a lot of lectures about climate change 
— and am happy to come to syna-
gogues and give my lecture. 
Q
: 
How would you best describe 
climate change to people who 
may be skeptical? 
PG: There are three things that 
largely determine a planet’
s average 

temperature: the distance from its star 
— in our case, the sun — its surface 
albedo (color) and the composition of 
its atmosphere. Neither our distance 
from the sun nor our albedo has 
changed in the past 100 years. 
However, humans have changed 
the composition of our planet’
s atmo-
sphere … that’
s the only thing that 
has recently changed. Remember 
that heat results from energy coming 
in minus energy going out. Adding 
carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous 
oxide to our atmosphere — which 
mostly come from human activity — 
means that less heat is escaping to 
space. So, the planet warms. 
Earth’
s climate has warmed many 
times in its history, but all those pre-
vious warmings resulted from astro-
nomical changes — Earth’
s tilt, rota-
tion or orbit around the sun. None of 
those things have happened this time. 
That’
s why we know that the current 
warming is not part of some cycle.
Q
: 
How is climate change impact-
ing us in Michigan? 
PG: We are seeing an increase in 
extreme precipitation events, and the 
reason is simple: In a warmer world, 
more ocean water evaporates into the 

atmosphere. That atmospheric water 
vapor is what storms turn into pre-
cipitation, so it’
s easy to see why the 
big storms are dropping more rain. 
But it’
s not just rain. It’
s the big snow-
storms, too. People will be shocked to 
hear that six of Detroit’
s 11 all-time 
snowiest winters have occurred since 
1980! 
We’
re also seeing a later first frost 
in the fall and earlier last frost in the 
spring. That may initially sound like 
good news, but if you have allergies, 
the longer growing season means a 
longer misery season for you. 
Q
: 
Any other facts that our read-
ers should know about climate 
change? 
Special interest groups and politi-
cians have created a lot of confusion, 
and there have been some radical 
statements made by both sides. I’
ve 
heard left-wing groups say that we 
must “stop” global warming. Well, 
we’
re past the point of being able to 
stop it: Some of the changes that have 
already occurred are irreversible for 
1,000 years or more. 
The key is to slow it down so 
plants, animals and humans can adapt 
and mitigate. Anybody you hear 

advocating a position of “stopping” 
global warming has a radical point of 
view. I once heard an environmental-
ist say at a conference that the world 
must go cold turkey and immediately 
eliminate carbon-based energy pro-
duction and fuel. That’
s impossible. 
Conversely, I’
ve heard right-wing 
groups completely deny the science, 
and these are very well-funded groups 
who are adept at spreading their gos-
pel. Some of the misinformation I’
ve 
seen coming out of these groups is the 
most factually ridiculous communica-
tion I’
ve ever seen in my entire life. 
Back in 2001, I had the privilege 
of putting a letter in a Detroit time 
capsule that is not to be opened until 
the year 2100. I wrote about climate 
change … explaining the state of 
the science at that time and, in that 
letter, I made the following closing 
statement, that I’
ll have to para-
phrase: I hope that, 100 years from 
now, you aren’
t asking why we didn’
t 
do anything 100 years ago when we 
knew what was happening and had 
the chance to take steps to reduce the 
warming. 
It is unchallengeable scientific fact 
that humans have changed the com-
position of our planet’
s atmosphere. 
And the resulting thermodynamics 
are simple: We are also changing our 
planet’
s climate. It’
s always easiest to 
kick the can down the road and not 
worry about a problem that won’
t 
affect us that dramatically. But do we 
really want to do this to our children, 
grandchildren and great-grandchil-
dren? ■

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

Talking Climate 
Change with Paul Gross

Paul Gross holds a homemade “comet” he made during a science demo.

PHOTO (COURTESY OF PAUL GROSS)

How You Can 
Help Battle 
Climate Change

• Reduce electricity use. 
• Replace conventional light bulbs 
with LED bulbs. 
• Replace manual thermostats to 
programmable. 
• Seal drafts from windows or doors 
to improve home’
s insulation.
• Unplug chargers when not in use. 
Anything plugged into the outlet 
that has a block on it uses power 
even when not charging! 
• Reduce car emissions by keeping 
your car tuned up and driving 
efficiently.

